Cover means for ventilation openings of box



p United States- Patent 11113537379 [7 Inventors Toshio "irai 511 1111.01 F24fl3/00 y [50] Field of Search 62/237; Soichl Okada, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka, and 9 3 2 122 40 41 Makoto Kanelgo, Mlhara-shi, Japan [2]] Appl. No. 775,818 [56] References Cited Filed d 3: UNITED STATES PATENTS [451 meme 1 i 780 3115 1/1905 Siebert 98/32 [731 Assignees 'fi l jmfi 984:553 2/1911 Gay 62/237 2 37 0saka Shosen MitsuiSenpaku Kabushiki 24l4'588 1/1947 Elliott 6 l2 Kalsha Chiyoda-ku Primary Examiner-William J. Wye Osaka-Shi, Japan Attorney- McGlew and Toren [32] Priority Nov. [7,1967 [33] Japan [31] 42/96,49l

ABSTRACT: Cover-means include respective cover members for ventilation openings of a refrigerated box. Each of the [54] ggg FOR VENTILATION OPENINGS cover members for the openings is mounted on the box body 5 Claims 5 Drawin H s by means of at least one snap acting toggle link mechanism ing g eluding a spring Under the action of an external force, the [52] US. Cl 98/32, cover member snaps into either its closing position or its opening position, beyond the dead point-of the toggle mechanism.

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 Sheet INVENTORS T H/o H/RA ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3,1970 v v v. 3,537,379

Sheet 2 of 2 l IHIIIIT INVENTORS ms/1'10 HIP/4!, 60/067 O/(ADA and MA KOTO KANEKO ATTORNEY COVER MEANS FOR VENTILATION OPENINGS OF BOX SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION refrigerator. Those openings must be provided with covers for a the occasion where the container is disconnected from the refrigerator and serves its purpose independently thereof.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide cover means for ventilation openings of a box, which cover means permits automatic opening and closing of covers incorporated in a container simultaneously with connection and disconnection of said covers with the front ends of connecting ports of movable air channels or conduits.

Another object of the invention is to provide cover means in which the covers in open or closed state require no external force to be applied and are held in either of said states by the action oi'spring members.

In accordance with the present invention, cover means for ventilation openings of a box comprise cover members for said ventilation openings whose opening and closing motions are initiated by external forces. Each of the cover members is connected to one end of a link which is pivotally mounted at the other end thereof. The link has a spring member which coacts with the link to exert a closing force on each of the cover members before the dead point of the link and to exert an opening force thereon after the dead point.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a refrigerated container equipped with cover means for ventilating openings;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-ll of FIG. 1 showing how the connecting port of bellows type air channel is connected;

FIG. 3 is a view as seen from the direction of an arrow III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is in side elcvutlonsi view'ol' the end of connecting port of the cooling air channel or conduit; and

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the relations between rollers at the front end of an air conduit and guides on the cover.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the box body 1 of a refrigerated container is provided with two ventilation openings 2 in its end plate or wall. Cooling air is supplied through one of the openings, and the air which has circulated in the container is discharged through the other opening. These ventilation openings may take any desirable shape, round or square for example. Each opening is reinforced with a frame plate 3 of material such as plastics having sufficient strength and good heat insulation. On each frame plate 3 a cover member 5, as shown in FIG. 3, is supported through a lug 8, a rod 9, a link 7, a pin 10 and a support 11. The cover member is kept closed by a spring member 14 stretched between a pin 17 and a support 12. The spring member 14 coacts with the link 7 to close the cover member 5 in the position A of FIG. 2, and, before the dead point C, it exerts a closing force on the cover member 14 and, after the dead point C, it exerts an opening force. In FIG. 2, the parts indicated by primed numerals such as 5' and 7 indicate the state in which the cover member is opened. Each cover member 5 is equipped with a seal packing 4, and is also provided with guide members 6 on the surface.

0n the other hand, each of the movable air channels or con duits, formed of bellows or the like, is provided with a flange 19 at the front end. Projecting from the flange, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, there are provided stays I5, 18, 21 and arbors 20 which latter in turn support four rollers 16.

The operation of the cover means described above will now be described. As the front end of each air channel or conduit is moved toward a ventilation opening 2 of the box, the rollers 16 come into contact with the cover member 5 as shown in FIG. 2. Further advance of the air channel or conduit gradually pushes the cover member 5 open until the spring member 14 is urged beyond the dead point C, when the spring member will exercise an opening force to open the cover member 5, and the link 7 engageswith a stopper 13 and is stopped at the point B. Now the cover member is kept open and will not be closed by a fairly strong external force. In this case, the link pivots around the pin 10 so that the cover member 5 comes down to a position indicated at 5. As the cover member 5 moves up or down, the rollers 16 come in between the guide members 6 in a relation as indicated at 16 and 6'. At that time, the relationship between the rollers 16 and the guide members 6, as viewed looking in the vertical direction, is illustrated in FIG. 5. As can be seen from the figure, descending of the cover member to a certain level is accompanied by the advance of the rollers 16 into the space defined between the guide members 6, and eventually a relationship as shown in FIG. 2 is established. Therefore, if the movable air channel or conduit is conversely urged away from the box, the rollers hook and pull the guide members 6 thereby causing the cover member to move together with the air channel. As the spring member 14 moves past the dead point C, it exerts a closing force and thereby closes the cover member. The upper and lower rollers are always positioned above and below the rod 9, respectively, so that the cover member can be kept from rotating as it is pushed or pulled.

The cover means for ventilation openings of box according to the present device has the following advantages:

1. Opening and closing of cover means for a box are automatically accomplished by connection and disconnection, respectively, of the movable air channels or conduits;

, 2. While the covers are kept in open or closed state, there is no need of exerting any external force, and the cover members are self-maintained in position by the urging of spring members incorporated in the individual cover members; and

3. The link mechanism for each cover member is completely attached to the frame plate which is detachable from the outside. Accordingly, the mechanism can he removed as a unit simply by detaching the frame plate, for the convenience of maintenance and inspection.

lclaim:

1. Cover means for openings of a container, arranged to be connected to a source of coolant or the like by conduits having free ends connectable to the openings, said cover means comprising, in combination, cover members for the respective openings movable between open and closed positions, with their opening and closing movements being initiated by the application of external force to said cover members; a respective link for each cover member, each link having a first end connected to the associated cover member and a second end pivoted at a first point fixed with respect to said container; a respective tension spring for each link, each spring having a first end connected to the first end of the associated link and a second end connected to a second point fixed with respect to said container and spaced further from'said link first end than is said first fixed point, in a manner such that each spring, upon movement of its associated cover member between said open and closed positions, passes through a dead center position in which its ends are aligned with and on opposite sides of the associated first point; each spring coacting with its associsted link to exert a cover member closing force on one side of said dead center position and a cover member opening force on the other side of said dead center position.

2. Cover means, as claimed in claim I. wherein each of said openings is formed in a frame plate mounted on a side wall of said container; said first and second points being on said frame plate.

3. Cover means, as claimed in claim 1, including an endless packing extending around the peripheral edge of each cover member on the outer surface thereof for preventing air leakage in the closed position of the associated cover member.

4. Cover means, as claimed in claim 1, in which the free end of each conduit is provided with a cover member controlling device including cover member engaging members cooperable with the associated cover member; each conduit, upon movement into a position connected to its associated opening, initiating opening movement of the associated cover member and, upon withdrawal from its position connected to the associated opening, initiating closing movement of the associated cover member.

5. Cover means, as claimed in claim 4, in which said opening members comprise a plurality of rollers; the external surface of each cover plate being formed with guide means engageable with said rollers. 

